Page 37 of Bride takes a Scot

Anse slowed his pace. “Aye, I saw him earlier at the training field. You patched him up well, Milady, for he barely limped. Ithought he would be laid up for a time. Och, he went off with his brother Claude and then he said something about meeting with Silas.”

“I had hoped to inspect the wound this day to ensure it was properly healing.” Isabella wondered if she could trust Anse. He had been kind to her since she arrived, and she thought her husband trusted him too since Anse was in command when Declan was away from the holding. She had to talk to someone about the mysterious “gift” left on her bed. It might as well be Anse. Isabella stopped walking and turned to him.

Anse stopped and frowned at her. “What is it?”

“I don’t want to burden you with this, but I need to tell someone, and Declan is never around…” She delayed in speaking the words. Would Anse believe her? She took a deep breath and stared at the ground, too shy to let him see the emotions she knew would cover her face like a mask. “When I was tidying up my…our…thebedchamber this morn, I found my—my supper dagger…sticking in a dead rat that had been wrapped in a tartan and left in the middle of my—our…bed this morn. It frightened me. I think someone was just trying to scare me or perhaps, they’re jesting.”

“Yewhat?” Anse bellowed as his frown turned into a fierce scowl and his brows slanted, furrowing his forehead. Isabella gasped and took a step back from the large, terrifyingly furious warrior. He blinked and appeared to duck his head, shrinking slightly in her gaze. He touched his forehead and his expression turned sheepish. “I do apologize, Milady, because I did not mean to shout.”

She found herself unable to speak. These Highland men were frightening when something riled them. She took a deep breath. “It was a rat,” she said in a small voice, in case he hadn’t understood her. He held up his hand, wide palm out, to signify she need not say more.

“I heard ye, Milady. But my concern is—why would someone do that? Ye should tell Declan about it. He will want to know. That is not a jest, and ye are the laird’s wife. No one in our clan would—or should—ever disrespect ye in such a way. I vow someone means to do ye harm.”

She nodded and bit her lip. Who? And why? But Anse was right. She needed to tell her husband. “Very well, I will tell him when next I see him. I want to doubt, though, that anyone intends to hurt me. They just mean to scare me. But I am not that easily frightened.” She shrugged. “I must admit, it was rather startling though.”

He nodded. “Aye, I have no doubt. I will keep my eyes open for this miscreant. It had to be someone who could easily and readily enter your chamber. So, I’ll keep my ears open too, for any gossip. Whoever left that message for ye is vile.”

“Do you deem it is a message? Why would someone leave such a message, and what do you think it means?”

Anse shrugged. “Hell if I know. Only the foulest of men—or women—would leave a bloodied rat in a tartan on your bed. Ye best tell Declan about it as soon as ye see him. Promise me ye will. He’ll want to protect ye.”

“Very well, I promise.” She nodded but dismissed his overreaction. Probably, she thought, it was just one of Declan’s siblings trying to frighten her. They didn’t like her, and his order that they be nice to her likely caused this reaction. It made sense, the more she considered the idea.

They reached the loch and found Slone waiting for them. Anse and Slone had the swing set up within a moment. How happy it would make Noah. Isabella couldn’t wait to show him. She remembered fondly the swing her father had erected for her and her brother when they were young. They had spent many happy days on it.

After the men tied the swing on the thick branch, Anse grinned. “I think we should test this out, aye, Slone? We do not want the lad to fall off and hurt himself.” He sat on the swing and pushed himself until he was flying in the air, grinning like a lad he must have been, bent on trouble instead of battles.

Slone scowled. “’Tis my turn.” He stopped Anse from swinging and shoved him off. Anse fell back and landed on the ground.

Slone sat on the swing and shouted as he went higher and higher. Anse stood by, dejected at not having another turn until finally he forced Slone to stop.

Isabella smirked at them and giggled. “Talk about men behaving as boys. I shall see you later. Enjoy the swing for now. I will bring Noah here on the morrow. I am certain no one will get a turn once he gets on it.” She left them and walked back toward the keep. With a quick wave, she passed by the gate and continued walking until she came to the chapel. She hadn’t yet spent any time inside and wanted to take a moment to pray.

Lady MacKendrick stopped her from entering the chapel. “Oh, there ye be, Isabella. Some things need tending to in the cottage. I left you a pile of mending, and there is a bucket full of spoons and cups that need washing when ye get around to it. Preferably before the evening meal.”

Isabella hoped her disdain didn’t show on her face. Her impatience with the lady was becoming as worn as an old piece of thread. She’d done nothing but offer kindness to her, and yet Helena continued to be difficult. Obviously, she didn’t care that Declan asked her to be nicer to her. Helena was plain rude and an unpleasant person to be around.

“I’ll see to it as soon as I finish my prayers.” She moved past the woman to make her way into the chapel, but she stopped her.

“Has Declan told ye how he came to be at the king’s castle when the king demanded he take a wife?” Lady MacKendrick peered at her with a smug look on her face.

“I don’t recall him telling me about it, but I suppose you’re going to tell me?”

“Oh, aye. He was accused of murdering his father-in-law, Laird Campbell, and was jailed for it in the king’s dungeons. Declan was pardoned when the king was searching for husbands for the border lasses. Yet he got saddled with ye, poor man, but that is the punishment he gets for killing a helpless aged man such as Allan Campbell.”

Isabella disbelieved her. Lady MacKendrick had to be lying. Surely Declan would have told her if he was accused of murder and that he’d been imprisoned. That he had been charged with murdering his father-in-law made the lie even more unbelievable. Declan wouldn’t hurt someone close to him, or someone aged. He was far too noble to do something so heinous. But Isabella felt the ire burn her cheeks. She was irate that he hadn’t told her and that she had to hear it from the wretched woman. She had thought he’d shared all his past with her, but apparently, he’d only shared with her the things he couldn’t hide, like his son, and the story of his deceased wife. What else was he hiding from her? And why?

“Your silence tells me that ye are affronted. Ye see, lass, some men are brutal like Declan, men who take the law into their own hands. Ye would be better off keeping your distance from him.” Lady MacKendrick didn’t wait for her acknowledgment but strode off.

Isabella shook off the conversation with her stepmother-in-law as she entered the chapel. Now was time to spend with God, not wallow in her dislike for Helena or worry over her husband’s duplicity. She could do that later.

The building was sizeable and made of stone. Isabella was surprised Declan had the chapel built before he had his men erect the enormous fortification they’d live in. Lord, she prayed for a delay but then she realized perhaps when it was finished that it wouldn’t be so bad. If only his stepmother stayed at the cottage or moved to England or perhaps some other far-off place. Isabella snorted a laugh at the thought of her moving to England. It was far enough away that she’d never have to deal with the harridan.

Her footsteps echoed on the flat stone slabs that led to the altar. When she reached the dais, she smiled at the wooden cross that took up most of the wall in front of her. Isabella knelt and bowed her head. But as she began to pray, she heard someone clear their throat. With a gasp, she turned and found a man standing beside her. She hadn’t expected to see anyone there and didn’t know they had a clergyman in residence.

“Good day,” he said politely.

She rose. “Good day.”